Page titles and how to write them - a practical SEO guide

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A title tag serves two purposes: it tells Google what your page is about, and it tells the searcher whether your page is worth clicking. Getting both right requires balancing the SEO function - including relevant terms - with the copywriting function - being compelling enough to earn the click. Most title tags do one or the other but not both.

The basic structure that works

For most pages, a title tag structure of Primary Keyword - Secondary Context - Brand Name works well. "Google Ads Management - Paid Search Specialists - 408 Media" tells Google the primary topic, adds context that differentiates the offering, and includes the brand for recognition. The primary keyword should match what users actually search for - check your search term data to confirm you are using the same language your target audience uses rather than internal company language.

Length and truncation

Google displays approximately 55 to 60 characters of a title tag before truncating with ellipsis. Titles longer than this are not penalised for ranking - Google reads the full title - but the truncated display in results reduces the readability and impact of your listing. Write titles to fit within the visible limit where possible. When you cannot say everything in 55 characters, front-load the most important terms. Google truncates from the right, so the beginning of your title is what searchers see.

Unique titles on every page

Every page on your website should have a unique title that accurately describes that specific page. Duplicate title tags across multiple pages tell Google those pages cover the same topic, which can lead to ranking competition between your own pages and confusion about which one to surface for a given query. For large sites - particularly ecommerce - templated title tags that insert the product name and category dynamically produce better results than identical generic titles across all product pages.

When Google rewrites your title

Google rewrites title tags in approximately 20 percent of cases - usually when the tag is too long, appears keyword-stuffed, does not accurately represent the page content, or does not match the query that triggered the result. If Search Console shows your page appearing with a different title than the one you wrote, Google has rewritten it. The response is to review what Google rewrote it to - it often gives you a signal about how Google understands the page and what queries it is matching. Rewrite your title to be closer to what Google chose while still reflecting your own strategic preference.

Testing title performance

Search Console's Performance report shows your average CTR by page. Pages with high impressions but low CTR are candidates for title tag improvement. Write a new title that is more compelling, wait 30 to 60 days for Google to recrawl and update its display, and check whether CTR improves. This is one of the few direct levers you have over how your organic listings perform without changing the page ranking itself.